<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Jokes by GreyLiliy</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22868467">Jokes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreyLiliy/pseuds/GreyLiliy'>GreyLiliy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Transformers (IDW Generation One)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Espionage, Gen, Humor, Teamwork</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2013-10-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2013-10-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 06:49:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,004</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22868467</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreyLiliy/pseuds/GreyLiliy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Prowl wishes Skids would take the mission a pinch more seriously.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Prowl &amp; Skids</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Jokes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>[First posted to Tumblr on October 25, 2013 as “Drabble #86 - Prowl/Skids.” Crossposted to Archive of Our Own on February 23, 2020. Only the work itself has been posted.]</p>
<p>Written as a Request.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Keep up, Prowler! We’ve got a way to move yet,” Skids said, his step and voice equally light as he slid along the outer wall of the Decepticon facility. He glided along the wall using skills he’d picked up here or there from other people, adapting them as naturally as if he had trained them his entire life. Prowl couldn’t help but be jealous, in the same moment of his irritation as Skids called back, “You can move faster than that.”</p>
<p>“Would you keep your voice down,” Prowl hissed. His gun was at his side, and his door-wings flat against his back. The blue theoretician was a few yards ahead, with a stupid grin on his face that only made Prowl’s growing restlessness worsen. “We’re trying to sneak in, not announce our cover to everyone in the surrounding area.”</p>
<p>“The guards are on the other side of the field,” Skids said, ducking down to lean around the wall’s corner. Their second cover waited for them across a small open field next to their target entry. Skids shrugged, “They can’t hear us.”</p>
<p>“You don’t know that,” Prowl said, keeping his voice low. He crawled up behind Skids, and kept his eye on the open space opposite the wall, and to their front. “Who knows what special techniques they have?”</p>
<p>“Then we’ll handle it,” Skids said. He tugged on the edge of Prowl’s door-wing. Skids let go before Prowl could smack his hand away. But it didn’t stop Prowl from flicking his door-wing at Skids. The blue mech snickered. “Lighten up, partner. This is an easy one.”</p>
<p>“That’s the attitude that gets mechs shot in the head,” Prowl said. Skids crouched down, and got into a sprint position with his fingertips touching the ground and his lets set. Prowl mimicked him, trying to keep form while adjusting for his different weight distribution. Despite having the mental and tactical advantage, his partner beat Prowl on field experience. Regretfully. Prowl snipped, “It makes you sloppy.”</p>
<p>“And it is a crime against Primus to be sloppy, isn’t it?” Skids laughed, leaning forward and back. His mood was jovial, but his body language was all business.</p>
<p>Prowl could respect that.</p>
<p>Skids dashed forward in a flash, crossing the open terrain in a blur of blue. Limbs coordinated, and hand on his weapon. Not even a security camera clicked in his direction. Skids slid to a stop on the other side, and glanced around the corner into the open area that split the two cover walls. He held his palm up for two seconds, before waving Prowl toward him. The tactician crossed the open area, with not quite the same grace, but he managed to get across without being spotted.</p>
<p>“If it’s not, it should be,” Prowl replied, coming to a stop beside Skids. “Being sloppy, I mean.”</p>
<p>“Talk to Magnus some time, I’m sure he’d love to get that in the Tyrest Accord.” They were approaching the main building now, and he had lowered his voice appropriately. Skids proceeded along the new cover, keeping his head down and arms at the ready.</p>
<p>Prowl readied himself for the next step of their infiltration. Two guards before the door. Skids was on take-down, Prowl was back up and lock-breaking. They had a plan, they would follow through. Of the 800 probable outcomes, Prowl only saw failure in four for the first step. He would never say so out loud, but this first part should indeed be “easy.”</p>
<p>“You ready?” Skids asked.</p>
<p>“Always,” Prowl said.</p>
<p>“Then let’s do this,” Skids said. He dove around the corner, and disarmed the guard nearest to the door using a technique he’d lifted from Jazz. It was quick, silent, and Prowl watched with gun in hand ready for any unexpected turns. Skids set the still guard’s body on the ground silently, and swapped his hand for his grappling hook. “One more to go, and the back gate’ll be clear.”</p>
<p>Prowl nodded, and made the dash for the door at the same instant as the grappling hook flew free and snagged the second guard in the neck. Prowl slammed the de-coding pad hook into the side panel of the lock and proceeded to circumvent the security protocols as needed. The door swished open in time with the guard’s body hitting the ground.</p>
<p>Skids stretched his hands over his head, and retracted the grappling hook. He slapped Prowl in the arm as he walked through the back door. “Nice going, partner. Now that’s what I call a successful operation.”</p>
<p>“Yes, we’ve successfully completed the easiest task of our assignment, and the mission objective is still an entire building full of enemies away,” Prowl said. He closed the door behind them, and stayed close to Skids as they walked down the hallway. Back entrance, minimum guards and security for what should be a corridor full of unused store rooms. “Let’s not celebrate just yet.”</p>
<p>“If we die walking around this next corner,” Skids said, his face more serious than Prowl had ever seen. “Then you’re going to wish we had celebrated our little win.”</p>
<p>Prowl pursed his lips. “I’m not sure I follow.”</p>
<p>Skids smiled sadly, and shook his head. He butt his knuckles into the top half of Prowl’s arm, and snorted. “Yeah, I know. Fine, fine, no celebrating until we get the documents we came in for.”</p>
<p>“With a 85% success rate, I imagine that will be fine,” Prowl said. “I believe drinks are customary?”</p>
<p>Skids laughed, and covered his mouth to keep the sound from echoing down the hall. “Don’t do that, I can’t take it when you tell jokes.”</p>
<p>“Joke?”</p>
<p>“Never mind,” Skids said. He jumped on one foot, and then switched to the other. A sort of stretch, Prowl believed. “Come on, we’ve got papers to get and you’ve got a drink to buy.”</p>
<p>“Hey! Wait up!” Prowl whispered when Skids ran forward toward the next corridor. Prowl followed, adjusting his predictions for Skids’ new uplifted attitude. Prowl snorted, “What makes you think I’m paying!?”</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>